GB2273630B - Telecommunications - Google Patents

Abstract

Figure 1 shows generally at 10 a telephone having a speaker 11, a microphone 12, processing means 13, a control unit 14 and an audible indicator 15. When the telephone 10 is used to conventionally communicate with another telephone (not shown), for example to enable respective users of the telephone to speak to each other, electronic signals corresponding to the speech are input to and output from the telephone 10 at input 16 and output 17 respectively. The input 16 and output 17 are connected to a radio transmitter/receiver in the case of a mobile or portable telephone or maybe connected to a telephone line cable in the case of a conventional telephone. The processing means 13 electronically processes the signals and in the case of incoming calls these are relayed from the input 16 to the speaker 11. In the case of outgoing signals these are relayed from the microphone 12 to the output 17. The control unit 14 identifies the presence of a command signal with the incoming calls. If a user of another telephone (not shown) wishes to call telephone 10, the telephone number of telephone 10 is dialled in the conventional way. However if during a time interval of a pre-determined length beginning immediately after the number of telephone 10 is dialled the caller inputs a command code via his conventional telephone key-pad this sends a command signal to telephone 10 which is identified by a control unit 14. Upon identification of the command signal the control unit 14 inhibits the operation of the audible indicator 15 by means of inhibit unit 14b so that no indication is made of the incoming call. Additionally the control unit 14 automatically establishes the channel of communications as though the user had answered the call. <IMAGE>